The Mythical Love Contest: Story of the Fey
by Paite-chan
Summary: Looking up, the blush deepened as she saw the face of her savior. Handsome eyes tinted with flecks of gold, a charming smile with a row of pearly whites, a captivating face radiating with warmth... For storyteller221's contest.
1. Chapter One: The Feast of the Defeat

**I.**

"EEEE-YEOOOOWWW!!!"

She sighed as she saw the bloom enclose itself around her companion, ultimately trapping him within its flowery confines. Although she _specifically_ told him not to go near the flowers while she worked, this perhaps was the _umpteenth_ time she had done so. For no matter what words came out of her mouth, her companion did so anyway—chucking all warnings to the ground as if they were merely the song of the wind. _Don't say I didn't warn him_, she thought in irritation.

"C'mon, Dan—let _me_ help you out," she said as she glided towards him with silvery wings, sparkling like a dragonfly's. "I _told_ you not to go near those daisies! How many times do I have to tell you?"

Daniel—or _Dan_, as he was affectionately called—was finally freed from the flowery prison once his sister heaved him out of the pretty daisy. Pollen had flown everywhere, and he began sneezing like there was no tomorrow. One of his wings also looked slightly bent, but fortunately, it wasn't anything serious. "I"—ACHOO!—"thought"—ACHOO!—"you"—ACHOO!—"finished"—ACHOO!—"a while ago!" he protested, making a few more sneezes until his sinuses had calmed down. She put a hand to her forehead in frustration, releasing an irritated sigh.

"My magic works after three minutes! I keep telling you that!" she scolded, giving him a condescending look. "But _no_, you _still_ keep getting yourself trapped in sleeping buds anyway."

"Well _so-ree_," Dan spoke sarcastically. "I'm just a fairy, for crying out loud! Ain't _my_ fault that I make mistakes every once in a while, _Amelia_."

Amelia—or Amy, as she was nicknamed—just groaned. "Whatever. Look, twilight is almost over and we have to be at the Seelie Court once we're done here before the fairies from the Unseelie Court come. Now, I don't want you goofing around for no reason so we could finish the job, okay?"

Dan just frowned, with his wings fluttering in a rhythmic motion. "Fine, fine. You don't have to be so bossy," he muttered, gliding glumly to a batch of open blooms and closing them with sparks of magic.

**II.**

Now, at the Seelie Court, everyone seemed to be in an air of merrymaking and celebration. This was so since it was the annual celebration of the Defeat of the Unseelie Court, wherein the brave soldiers of the Seelie Court had fought chivalrously against the invasion of the boggles who had tried to take them out eleven years ago. It was also during the Invasion of the Unseelie court wherein Amelia and Daniel's parents had died, shortly after their mother Hope had given birth to him. Yet this didn't stop the siblings from participating in the festivities, since every year the celebration was truly very merry and quite exciting.

While the fairies of the Seelie Court happily drank nectar from their goblets and feasted on a colossal banquet, King Alistair—the King of the Seelie Court—lifted his goblet up and tapped it with a spoon in three rhythmic raps. Everyone was silenced by that, and Dan was forced to put down the leg of roasted Minotaur meat he was munching on.

The King, who was also the uncle of Amelia and Daniel's mother, had eyes filled with mirth as he laid his goblet down. "Greetings, my fellow-fairies! As you all know, today is a time of festivity and celebration, for today is the day we commemorate the defeat of our darker brothers!"

A fit of cheering had ensued after that. Amy and Dan shared a smile, with the wistful memory that their father had also been a part of that revolution.

King Alistair continued. "Yet for what purpose is this festivity if we ourselves do not know the story behind our celebration? Therefore, with this, I hereby commence this year's storytelling!"

A chorus of a million voices then came with delight, because although everyone in the Seelie Court had heard the story a million times, the performances usually got more and more spectacular each year. King Alistair smiled, then gestured to an ornately decorated door at the side of the Court.

"As you all know, each year we have a different set of performers that accompany the storytelling. Today, the Tale of the Defeat will be performed by one of our Council members, Corinia—alongside with her husband and son, Broderick and Jonah."

Amy clapped until her hands wrung. Councilwoman Corinia [kho-rihn-NHAI-yah]—or _Cora_, for short—had always been known for her spectacular performances, and the fact that she would be performing with her family was even better. The trio was often appraised for their talents in the art of theater.

The Councilwoman and her family then walked through the doors as the enchanted doors opened themselves, with the three all garbed in fiery autumn outfits. Their smooth coffee skin was often a subject of envy to the other councilors, and the fact that their wings sparkled like gold was another coveted trait. Yet all this was forgotten because since they were the ones to perform, they were to be held in the highest respect—second to the king, that is.

The three gave the audience their best smiles before bowing simultaneously, and with a magic spark, the Court lights dimmed into a pitch black. Amy felt a bit nervous at that, yet that sliver of nervousness had vanished once the Court had been filled with a bedazzling light of an enchanted fire, coming from the hands of the Councilwoman herself.

"In the olden times, there was a devious King named Vikram who ruled over the court of the Unseelie," Cora narrated, the flames in her hands forming into the shape of a tall, sinister man. The audience gasped, yet clapped in delight of this. "And he came to envy the power of the opposing kingdom, the Seelie Court."

With that cue, her son Jonah then cast enchanted flames from his own hands, molding into the shape of a vast, pristine fairy kingdom that was the Seelie Court. More cheers erupted from the audience.

"Thus, in his envy, he gathered his army of boggles to invade it—and with their brute strength and ruthlessness, they had momentarily taken the kingdom captive," Cora continued, and Broderick then cast flames from his own hands. They formed into vile, beastly boggles—whilst his son's flames transformed from a pristine kingdom to panicking fairies. The boggle flames eventually overpowered the fairy flames, causing the audience to gasp in shock.

"With this, they forced the fairies of the Seelie Court to undergo menial labor, various humiliations and tortures—and for years, it had been a dark period for the people of the Seelie Court." Cora's flames then transformed into that of a slave-driver, while Jonah and Broderick's flames shifted into suffering fairies. Whimpers were heard all throughout the crowd.

"Yet fortunately, this did not last long—because under the gallant rule of Sir Arthur, the fairies rebelled and were able to start a revolution that would put an end to King Vikram's oppressive reign over the Seelies!" Cora yelled, and the flames morphed into a gallant battle between the Unseelies and the Seelies. The whole audience cheered, with Dan's voice being the loudest of them all.

"The Seelies did win, yet unfortunately, Sir Arthur had lost his life in the process—along with the life of his wife, Hope," Cora spoke sadly, and the whole audience began to feel sympathy. Amy tried to stifle the sadness that slowly crept up into her heart, knowing that her parents had died for the best. At least she had her grandmother with her. Not to mention her brother, as annoying as he got.

"Fortunately today, the kingdom now strives under the rule of his uncle-in-law, King Alistair—and with a few negotiations, the Seelies and the Unseelies now live in peace." Cora concluded, and the pyrotechnic show then erupted into an array of colored fire. The audience cheered.

"LONG LIVE THE SEELIES!" Cora yelled triumphantly.

"LONG LIVE THE SEELIES!" the others chanted, raising their fists up in triumph. "Long live the Seelies! Long live the Seelies! Long live the Seelies!"

Amy was in the middle of the victory chant as well, until her grandmother tapped her on the shoulder. "It's time for you and Daniel to dress up, my dear. The victory ball will begin shortly after this."

Amy sighed. She wanted to participate in the chant further [it was much too much fun], yet she obliged to do so anyway. "Sure, Grace. I'll call Dan."

**III.**

Meanwhile, while the Seelies were enjoying their victory, cruel structures laid in wait ominously far away from the Seelie Kingdom. A dark castle loomed over the rest of the structures, and one of its inhabitants sat smugly upon a black throne as it drummed its fingers rhythmically on the armrest. His amber eyes were as emotionless as they could get, with no sign of remorse evident in any of his features. He smiled cruelly as a figure entered the throne room with strong strides, then closed the door with some sparks of black magic.

"Ian, my boy," came the menacing voice. "How glad am I to see you."

The cruel looking boy rolled his eyes at the figure on the throne. "Yes, Father. Now, would you mind telling me what business you have in store for me?"

The figure, King Vikram, chuckled. "Mm-yes… the moment of the Unseelie Court's victory is at hand, my boy. Yet in order for it to happen, I'll be needing you and your sister to infiltrate the Seelie Court as inconspicuously as possible.

Ian raised an eyebrow. "But Father, you know that the Seelie Court is protected by an invincible shield. The only way to penetrate it is to become a Seelie, and _that_ is virtually impossible. I thought you knew that."

King Vikram interlaced his fingers. "You didn't think that I've thought of that? Why, you underestimate your old man too much," he spoke, grabbing something around his neck. Snapping the chain off, it held a vial of some black, ethereal liquid that constantly morphed.

"This, Ian, is a transfiguring liquid. Good enough for two persons and one hour."

Ian's bored expression instantly shifted to one of shock. "But Father, in order to make such potion, you would have had to…"

"Kill at least seven of my men and use their blood," King Vikram spoke casually, as if a sin that grave didn't matter. "Son, did you really think that I became King for nothing? Of course I know all of this! And if it would make you feel any better, it was your _mother_ who committed the murders, not I."

An unnerved ripple came upon Ian's face, yet it passed quickly. His face returned to its unemotional quality. "Very well. What then must I do to infiltrate the Seelie Court?"

The King once more revealed a vicious smile. "As you know, today is the day when those blasted Seelie fairies overcame the power of my army. They'll be having a ball in a few minutes, and I want you and your sister to attend it to undo the spell that protects the fairies. Afterwards, send us a signal so that I may launch my army over those accursed Seelies and destroy them once and for all."

Ian smiled smugly. Good old Father never lost his touch. "Very well. I will do as planned."

And while the Seelie Court celebrated their fateful victory, they were oblivious to the fact that in somewhere far, _far_ away, their worst enemies were planning their return with a horrifying comeback.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well, since I decided to refresh my mind a bit for new plot avenues for TGCR, I've decided to try out storyteller221's contest, that is, the _Mythical Love Contest_. If you want to participate, you can go check out her story _The Prince of Serpents_, chp. 5. All the information is right there. :) I also thought that this was an opportunity to explore more plotlines, so I thought, what the heck? Also, if you're wondering, the creature I've thought out is indeed _fairies_. [I considered angels, but I thought: _Nah, too controversial_.] As for the pairing... I think I'll be mean again and keep it a secret. After all, what's a story without the drama? XD


	2. Chapter Two: When the Tables are Turned

**I.**

An array of color littered the banquet hall, and King Alistair watched it all seated on his throne. The Seelie Folk were often very joyous, and even with the occasional jealousy here and there, they were nonetheless capable of respect when around other fairies. The King delighted himself in watching the Folk in various hues dance the night away, seeing as he was too old to participate in the dances himself.

Councilwoman Gratiana [grah-shee-YAH-nah], who also went by the name _Grace_, escorted her granddaughter down the enchanted staircase as the girl fumbled a bit on her feet. Amelia occasionally had trouble walking since she was used to flying so much, and the rule opposing flying within the Court didn't help her one bit.

Her heart thumped like a rabbit's foot as she further descended the staircase with her grandmother, her eyes opening to the large revenue of Fey gathered. Sure, she was okay with cheering during performances and whatnot, but when the occasion involved actually _mingling_ with the folk, it never failed to activate her problematic stuttering.

"Um, G-Grace?" Amy said nervously. "I-I-I think I'm not quite r-ready for this y-yet…"

The Councilwoman just laughed it off. "My dear little agoraphobic, your stutters are coming back again. It's okay to be a _little_ nervous during a gathering, but it seems as if you still have that same fear even if you've been to the victory balls countless times already!"

Amy blushed. "I-I-It's just that there's s-s-so many f-folk…"

Grace hugged her stuttering granddaughter. "No worries, sweetheart. I'll be here if you'll be needing someone to turn to. Now, don't you look just _lovely_ this evening?"

Amy perked up a bit. Grace never failed to make her feel better when she suffered from a bout of the nerves. Smiling, she hugged her grandmother back and held her arm tight, taking a few more shaky steps down the stairs as they continued to descend.

She caught a few glimpses of the other folk's ensembles, with winter being the most dominant motif out of all the others. She herself wore a nice gown made of the colors of autumn, her favorite time of the year. She liked it so because she found autumn duty the most fun, what with all the falling leaves and large leaf piles that made a wonderful whirlwind of color if you casted a strong enough wind spell on it. In the meantime, Daniel had been waiting down the staircase impatiently for the entire time, his face contorted into a bored scowl. This sour expression contrasted entirely with his sunny summer get-up, which he wore since he had always been a summer boy.

"You take longer than a _snail_, you know that?" Dan spoke, to which Amy retorted with an icy look.

"Well, we all can't be expert walkers like _someone_," she said, poking her tongue out at him. He then made an ugly face at her in response, right before Gratiana halted the argument to prevent it from advancing any further.

"Now children, this is a time of celebration and joy—we wouldn't want to spoil it with words of hatred," Gratiana spoke gently with a warm hand to their shoulders. The children then yielded upon her request, but not without giving their final retaliation. Grace sighed, then led Amy near the nectar flower, where most of the Fey poured themselves goblets of nectar.

"Perhaps you should try dancing a bit," Grace suggested, with that wise sage face that often emitted a soothing aura. "You might feel a little bit better afterwards. After all, dancing _does_ do wonders to those of the Fey."

Amelia blushed a bit. Grace was right, of course—dancing had always been some sort of remedy for the Folk, that's why they often did so—yet there was that churning emotion in her stomach that hindered her to do it. "I… I don't think—"

Grace smiled kindly. "Nonsense! Come on, I'll take you to the floor. You'll be sure to enjoy yourself."

With a resigned sight, Amy held Grace's hand tightly as Grace led her further into the crowd. A multitude of smiling faces greeted her way, with some girls blushing as they chatted unsteadily with their partners. Amy gulped at all this, her stomach churning once more at the prospect of looking for a partner. Her head suddenly turned light.

"U-Uh, Grace…" she moaned. "I… I think I'll get myself a glass of nectar. I'm starting to get dizzy."

Grace looked mildly surprised at this, then nodded in understanding. "Very well, then. If you'll need my guidance, I'll be up chatting with the King if you ever need me."

"Thanks, Grace," Amy spoke, smiling as she headed back to the nectar flower. She immediately poured herself some nectar at a dizzying pace, finishing it off in one gulp in haste. The light-headedness seemed to subside for a while, and within a few moments, she felt much better. _Maybe I should just watch them for a while_, she thought to herself.

**II.**

Watching the crowd was peaceful, to say the least—it was _way_ better than being in the crowd itself. But unfortunately, her period of peaceful watching was put to an end with the atrocious sound of someone pigging out at the buffet table just a few inches away from her. With a groan, she turned to face the culprit with a stony face.

"Hamilton!"

Antonio—or Hamilton, as he was usually called—looked up casually from the dish he was gorging on as if the presence of the girl was unnecessary. "What?"

Amy groaned in frustration, which seemed to drive away all residual feelings of nervousness. Although she was supposed to be used to this, as Antonio _was_ her childhood friend—she just _couldn't_. His behavior reminded her of another Dan… BIG version. "You're hogging all the food like some _large fly_."

"So?"

She sighed in exasperation. As said, he was _another Dan_. "_So?_ These balls usually have thousands of guests. And you're eating up the food that's meant for, shall I say, _at least a hundred?_"

Hamilton snorted without a care. "You're going all ballistic again. Learn to _relax_."

Amy's face flushed in irritation. As much as she was close friends with him, that didn't mean that those sloppy habits of his didn't get on her nerves. "How in _Titania's name_ can I relax when what you're doing could practically leave others hungry?!"

Hamilton then looked at her sternly as he finally stood erect, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Amy," he said. "You're getting all uptight, and when you're uptight, you tend to wig out on the littlest things. Maybe you should get some more air on the dance floor."

"I am not uptight!" Amy protested, yet her protests were brutally ignored as Hamilton pushed her towards a crowd of dancing Fey. Her cheeks were tinted with a reddish hue. "H-H-Hamilton! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Sayonara, Amy!" He spoke, shoving her to the middle of the floor. After the deed, he dusted his palms before he made his return to the buffet table.

Amy was in shock. Although she was pushed in abruptly with the crowd, none of the Folk seemed to take notice and continued to dance in circles around her. Her heart throbbed like a hummingbird's, and she began to lose air as the dancers continued to twirl around in their pretty garments. It was like she was a rock at the shallow part of the sea with schools of fish going about her without notice.

Fortunately, her panic attack was halted as she saw a hand in front of her, like an offering of some sort. "Would you like to dance?" came a velvety voice, something that was enough to make her blush.

Looking up, the blush deepened as she saw the face of her savior. Handsome eyes tinted with flecks of gold, a charming smile with a row of pearly whites, a captivating face radiating with warmth—Amy cursed herself for finding him handsome, since she'd prided herself for feeling no attraction to any of the Seelie men whatsoever. But him—oh, how her heart melted at the sound of his voice!

But since Amy knew better, she just looked down as she reluctantly reached her hand up to his. "Um… t-thank you, sir. Tha-That was very kind of you."

The boy chuckled in good fun. "Charming. You're quite a polite young fey, aren't you?"

Amy avoided speaking, since she knew that it would just go out in all stutters. She batted her wings softly to help get herself up, then gathering an ounce of courage, brought herself to look at the boy. Her face was tense and reluctant.

"Now, why would you look at me with such a face?" he spoke gently, with a voice like honey. "Then again, it _was_ inconsiderable of me to conclude that you're willing of a dance. Very well. We don't have to dance if you don't want to…"

"I never said that!" Amy blurted out, immediately regretting her words. In an instant, she withdrew her hand from his and covered her mouth as a gesture of humiliation. "I-I mean… I n-never said that I d-didn't want to d-dance. I—I apologize."

He smiled amusedly. "How cute. You stutter when you're nervous."

_Is he intentionally trying to embarrass me?_, Amy thought, turning her gaze away from his face. She felt herself tense a bit, probably from feeling a wallop of self-pity going over her like the soft ripples of a lake. But the mood changed as the Royal Orchestra began to play a gentle tune, a melody passed on by the musical human friend of the Seelies, Johann Strauss. This time, they were playing _A Night in Venice_, a favorite for all couples.

Amy gulped silently. _Couples_.

"Come on, then," the mysterious boy spoke, sliding his arms around her petite waist. Amy's face reddened even more at this, since the gesture was both ticklish and intimate. Of course, she was expected to put her arms around his shoulders, but a hint of fear had its grip on her as strong as an eagle's claw. At this, he merely smiled and invited her wordlessly to do so with a loving gaze, and her heartbeat grew quicker and quicker—but not out of nervousness, like a few moments ago when she was left in the middle of the crowd. This time, the feeling was more pleasant—like the first time she learned how to use her wings when she was little.

Putting her arms around his strong shoulders, the two waltzed around as with the other young couples who were doing so at the moment. Yet unlike those couples, the two seemed to be dancing even more lively than the rest, with the vitality like a butterfly being released from its spindery prison. A spring of joy seemed to bubble within the girl, something that she had never felt before. This moment, this dance, _everything_ was… _magical_, to say the least. And that was a lot to say coming from someone who was so used to using magic.

At the far end of the dance floor, Dan was frantically hiding from those Fairy girls who seemed to be deeply infatuated with him. He shuddered as he remembered their frenzied faces at the sight of him, right before they resumed to hoarding him for a dance. Crawling under a table, he was temporarily comforted by the darkness until his head bonked another's.

"Ow!" he interjected, rubbing his head before looking at the person he hit shortly. It wasn't just _one_ other person who was in hiding, to say the least—but _two_. He'd be an idiot to forget those blond ponytails.

"Madison and Reagan? What the heck are you guys doin' here?"

Madison, the older twin, rubbed her head furiously as she was the one who got the worst of the hit. She was garbed in a spring outfit, just like her sister, who was also rubbing her head at the moment. "I'd like to ask the same question to _you_, runt."

"Running away from some cooties who think I'd be crazy enough to dance with them," he spoke, rolling his eyes. Although the twins were technically girls themselves, they were boyish enough to hang out with. "You?"

"Mom wants us to dance with some _guys_ again," Marian—or Reagan, as she was called—the younger twin, spoke in disgust. "She thinks we should start preparing for _marriage_. Yuck." She then grinned at her twin mischievously, as if she knew a big secret. "Though I'm pretty sure _Madison_ wouldn't mind much, though…"

Madison punched Reagan on the shoulder. "_Shut up_, twerp!"

"Madison and _Fabiooo_, sittin' in a tree…"

Dan would've loved to see what would've happened with the twins' banter, but a shuffling of steps called his attention. Looking at the tiny bit of space that the tablecloth left, he saw two green stilettos clack noisily towards the end of the hallway. Peering closer, he saw a girl with flawless black hair walk towards the Spell Chamber, which held the source of the spell protecting the Seelie Kingdom from those of the Unseelie variety. Dan was puzzled.

"Hey guys, look at this," he spoke, gesturing the twins to peek along with him. The two then resumed their positions on either side of him, watching the scene unfold before them.

"What's that chick doing there? I thought that place was forbidden," Madison inferred, watching the girl with stilettos march towards the door. Marian gasped, calling their attention to the younger twin.

"Nothing good, I reckon." she concluded, pointing to the lifeless corpse of one of the guard fairies. With this, Dan had a bad feeling about what was going to happen next.

**III.**

"You _sure_ ask a lot of questions," Amy spoke in intoxicated amour, giggling softly after she had said so. The boy just smiled, shrugging playfully at her accusation.

"Is it _my_ fault for wanting to know more about a lovely fairy such as yourself?" he teased, and the girl just blushed in response. She was growing to immensely enjoy his company, and possibly—she could introduce him to her grandmother next. With his good manners and sweet words, without a doubt Grace would _definitely_ approve of him.

"Hey, I've just realized," Amy spoke with a laugh. "You've been asking a lot of questions and I haven't even asked one. That's unfair!"

The boy smiled with sparkling eyes. "Oh dear, I've been holding you back, haven't I? Fine, then. Ask your question, and I'll answer it with great zeal." Saying so, he tucked a few stray hairs away from her face, gazing at the jewel of her loveliness.

"What's your name?"

Closing his eyes slowly, he seemed to ponder a bit on that one simple question. Amy found that unnecessary pondering cute, finding it as one of his awkward flaws. But when the boy opened his eyes again, the warmth that once emanated from them was replaced with cold cruelty—with that once gentle smile turning into a horrible smirk.

"My name," the boy spoke, his winter outfit of royal blues and dark violets morphing into dead blacks and dying browns. Even the glint of silver on his wings turned into a dark glamour, with evil lurking through every corner of his appearance.

"… is Ian."

And with that, the enchanted lights of the hall vanished—with the reign of darkness just beginning.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Whew! Now THAT took long to update! Anyway... sorry for taking so long to update, for all those who've been liking this. Got a lot of things to do at school, but at least my poetry-writing contest is done! Now all I need to do is worry about the results and finish some other thinga-mahooeys for school... but look at the bright side! I'll be able to upload this more. :) [And when I'm through with this, I'll update TGCR, no doubt. After the seventh book, I'm all pumped now. :D] Oh, and if you're wondering why I gave some of them such butt-awful names [Corinia, Gratiana, Antonio], I just tried to make sure that they seemed like fairies, at least. XD [I guess I failed. :P] And if you're wondering how the heck did "Hamilton" turned into "Antonio"... um, well, you have all rights to degrade me. I only thought it was good enough 'cause both names have "ton" in it. -gets keeled-


	3. Chapter Three: The Calm before the Storm

**I.**

The harsh glare of the enchanted flame made Amy's eyes burn for a moment as they adjusted to the darkness. She could still feel the rawness of the tears that slid down her cheeks, and her whole body shook involuntarily. Although technically it wasn't _her_ fault that the Unseelie fairies were able to stop the Protection Spell, she still felt hurt and used, like a dirty rag.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid. You shouldn't have answered all those questions, moron!_

The Councilwoman took her granddaughter into her arms and hugged the sobbing frame. "You shouldn't blame yourself for what those nasty Unseelies have done," Grace spoke, her voice calm and soothing. "We should've known better that they'd violate the Treaty rules in the first place. I'm very sorry for letting you suffer this deteriorating remorse."

Amy sobbed even louder. Sobbed because she was letting dear old Grace take all the blame, sobbing for the act of disgrace the Unseelie Court had done to them, sobbing because she had not asked the boy's name in the first place. Everyone knew that Ian was the Prince of the Unseelie Court, and if she had only asked earlier, she wouldn't have given him the information he needed.

"Now is not the time to pity ourselves, Amy," Grace said gently, rocking the girl's head in her arms. "He would've lied to you anyways, dear. After all, he _is_ the Prince of that horrid kingdom."

Amy just rested her head on her grandmother's chest, wishing the whole situation away like it was some bad nightmare.

King Alistair's old face then came out from the shadows, with Councilwoman Corinia's flame leading his way. He walked unsteadily with his cane of vines and mahogany. "My dear Fey," he spoke, standing erect as he steadied himself on his cane. "We are indeed in a time of crisis at this moment. The Unseelie Court has captured all our resources aboveground, driving us underneath to these mole-caves. They've presumably discovered some of our ancient manuscripts, and will no doubt use it to destroy us once and for all."

Everyone present either gasped, bit their lips or cried at that moment. The Ancient Manuscripts contained the most powerful of Seelie spells handed down from the first Seelie Folk to the future generations to aid in achieving harmony with the humans and to protect them from the ill-intentioned Unseelie Folk. With that kind of power in their hands, it would not only be the Seelie Folk who will suffer—even _humanity_ would suffer in the long term.

The King frowned. "Yes, it seems that dark times are ahead of us if we do not act. The Unseelie Folk would probably discover our hiding places and destroy these too, as well. Therefore, in lieu of these dark times, I announce a new decree."

Everyone looked at each other in astonishment. Even Amy raised her head at the mention of a new decree.

King Alistair continued, with his face sullen and grave. "I hereby decree that at least one man from each fairy family, not younger than ten, will join a new army against the Unseelie Court."

The Seelie Court went into hysterics, with families clutching each other protectively. Wives wailed and begged their husbands not to go. Widowers from the previous wars pleaded that their youngsters were too young to know of the terrors of war. Even Grace spoke out, outraged by the unanimous decision of her own cousin.

"Alistair! This is madness!" she wailed. "Younger than ten? Going against those Unseelie brutes? You're waging a massacre, you _madman!_"

"Silence, sister," came a dark voice from the shadows. Everyone gasped as they looked at the figure emerging into the light, and unlike the colorful ensembles the others were wearing, the figure wore black and black alone. Grace was stunned.

"Fiske!" she spoke aghast. "I thought you were—"

"Nonsense," he spoke, his eyes as hard as steel. "I have never died in that unnecessary war. I only hid underground because I knew that history would repeat itself."

General Fiske—or Fiske, as he was called by some relatives—used to be one of the commanders commandeering the battalions used against the first Fairy Wars. He presumably died after going up against some rogue Unseelies, yet in reality, he was able to retreat before they had a hold of him and his men. Looking at King Alistair, the two exchanged meaningful nods before the old General talked to his sister again. "I and our dear cousin have talked about this fair and well. I've seen the carnage the first war produced, the fatality of men's weakness when they are worn with age. We need a new generation of soldiers."

"But these are _children_, for Oberon's sake! Titania knows what would happen to them if you let them battle!"

"Nothing bad will happen to them," Fiske spoke, looking at Alistair. "Cousin, show them the orb."

The King nodded, struggling to get something out of his cape. It was a round object wrapped with old sack cloth, and as he quickly unraveled it, a misty blue light filled the cave. A chorus of "oohs" and "aahs" echoed, and Alistair held it up for all to see.

"This is the Orb of Oberon, something my men and I fashioned after witnessing the destruction of the first Fairy War," Alistair spoke, and every eye was glued onto it. "While General Fiske and I were busy scavenging the dead bodies to give a proper burial, we discovered that although dead, they still contained an essence of life that can potentially restore those who were badly hurt. At first, we used them on the remaining casualties, and we then used the leftover essence to create this orb. This will serve as a protection for our younger soldiers, since the source is limited and not enough to accommodate all casualties."

Grace then closed her mouth, sitting back down next to Amy. Yet even so, there was a smoldering conviction behind her eyes that sensed a grave foreboding about the decision. The King then continued, his eyes a bright as steel. "Now, aside from Councilwoman Gratiana, the rest of the Council has agreed to this proposition. Time is short, and we'll need to evacuate towards the Country Plains in order to begin training and to build a new community against the Unseelie Court. Whoever is willing to fight for the Seelie Kingdom, say 'Aye'."

There was a tense silence within the Folk, and a few braved some glances at each other. Some bore the scars of the First Fairy War, barely making it alive from the Unseelie King's fresh brutishness. Some carried traumatic memories of ambush and blood. The decision wasn't an easy one.

After a considerable period of time, one brave soul from the Malarchy Family stood up from his place. "My brother died because of that brute," he spoke in a deep Scottish accent. "Aye."

Another one stood up from the Ruslanova Family. The fairy's pregnant wife looked concerned as the man's eyes beamed with determination, as if she was saying a silent prayer. "I wouldn't want my child to suffer such insolence at birth," he spoke, with the same conviction as the first fairy. "Aye."

More brave souls stood up more frequently, each with a deep determination budded out from a past memory. A chorus of "Ayes" resounded through the cave like a bubbling spring, and after a while, even the younger ones braved themselves to stand up—much to their parents' despair. Amy wanted to yell "NO!" as she saw her brother stand up, yet he was too far into the crowd to be stopped by her.

"Aye!" came Joséf of the De la Vuega Family.

"Aye!" came Jonah, son of Councilwoman Corinia.

"Aye!" came Antonio, son of Councilwoman Maria.

Amy watched silently as she saw the cacophony of male voices yell out their loyalties to the Seelie Court, muted by the hypnotic cries of the crowd as if in a trance. A million emotions seemed to hit her rapid-fire, creating a wall of nonchalance within her. As the cries grew louder and angrier, the crowd got into such a frenzy that they began to act like primates: jumping around and hooting out of bloodlust. Even Dan joined into the wild dance, acting like a savage who made his first kill.

"Very well, then!" Alistair yelled amidst the many voices. "At midday, we will make our preparation for the fall of the Unseelies!"

And just like that, the cave slowly returned to its dark clamor.

**II.**

Under the spell of silence as they had always been, the group nervously made its way towards the Country Plains. It was the safest place around, since no fairy ever bothered to set up civilization there. It was merely an endless field of grass, which sometimes shot up ever so wildly out of neglect—but unfortunately, were a weak foundation for their buildings. Fairies who sometimes camped there had no choice but to settle on the ground, which was quite a discomfort since the campsites were often trampled on by some unaware human or were often washed away by raging storms. Living in the Country Plains truly entailed a Spartan lifestyle, yet nonetheless, was virtually secure from any Unseelie fiends.

After a traumatic evacuation under fear of being discovered, they finally reached the end of the tunnel—squinting their eyes as the first rays of sunlight momentarily blinded them. The King was quick to be on the lead as he continued to lead them into a very grassy part of the field, finally letting the group rest after a while. "Get your shelters ready," he spoke as he magicked some blades of grass into a make-shift tent. "We'll begin training when the sun is high."

As the community worked into building their grass-tents, the soldiers-to-be camped together to get to training earlier and more efficiently. Reagan shot a contemplative look at them, as if she longed to join them even if she was a girl. It had been her dream, after all, to do something great for the Kingdom. Not that she'd ever show it, though.

"Marian!" came the voice of Councilwoman Maria—or Mary-Todd, as some people called her—Lieutenant Eisenhower's kind widow. She was also the mother of Antonio, Marian and Madison—yet even with her Council duties, she was still able to take care of them as a single mother. "Come to the tent! It's going to drizzle!"

Taking one last yearning glance, she ran to the tent right before the rain dropped.

The rain, to say the least, was the first part of the soldiers-to-be's training; if not informally. The cold and dampness was more than enough to toughen up their resistance, and when it finally cleared up, they seemed like they were ambushed by a gang of ogres. Amy and Grace had tried their best to get Dan out of the group, yet he continually insisted that he'd stay with them. "Dad _died_ for the Court," he'd reason hastely. "I'll be okay!"

After the wear of the storm, the recruits then lined up into the blaze of the burning sun to register their names. An elderly scribe wrote them on a magic piece of parchment, touching some areas in which the names would magically etch themselves upon it. When the last of the names were recorded, the group then mingled around to get familiar with the ground—free to go exploring for a period of time.

Dan, who was interested in some of the wilder insect varieties, crept along the tall blades of grass with the gusto of a hungry leopard. Each specimen he came across emanated with a bright, lively appearance—tempting him to learn more about the others found in the wild. A soft shuffle in one of the bladed areas caught his attention, and he readied himself to pounce on it lest it be a large beetle [which, to say the least, was something he was eager to ride for a long time.]. As the area shuffled again, he slowly crept to it and pounced—not landing on a beetle, but instead, a _person_.

"Ouch!" came a familiar voice. After recovering from the initial burst of pain that he got from the fall, the tone of voice instantly caught his attention and drove him to look the person in the face.

"Um… do I know you?" Dan spoke, cocking an eyebrow. It was one of those new recruits, he was sure—the weird-looking guy with the short pixie hair and the funny-looking cap. But for a minute, the guy didn't sound like a guy to him…

Instantly, the fairy got up on his wings and straightened his military tunic. "Uh, oh… of course not!" he reasoned hurriedly, looking at the boy in disorientation. "Uh… maybe we met at the Fairy Academy. Maybe that's the reason why you think you… must've saw me! Haha!"

The weird dude was certainly acting weird. "_Riight_," he said, looking at him suspiciously. "What'd you say your name was at the registration?"

"Um…" the boy looked around nervously. "Martin."

Dan leaned in closer to study the boy's face. "Martin, ey?" he spoke questioningly, analyzing his features. The boy seemed to turn nervous at that, with his discomfort increasing when Dan grasped him by the collar as if to hoist him up.

"H-Hey! Hey! STOP THAT!" the boy yelled in irritation as Dan pulled him up, scratching at the boy's hands. Dan looked at him suspiciously.

"Dude, you are _so_ not good at disguising yourself. Cool haircut, by the way," Dan spoke, putting the boy down. "_Marian_."

Snatching off her cap as she fell to the ground, Dan received a cold glare of death as he had anticipated. Standing up indignantly, the girl snatched it back with a sour note. "Haha. Fine, you got me," she spoke, adjusting the hat on her head. "But you _should_ know that I put up the wimp act _just_ because I didn't want to get caught."

"What the heck are _you_ doing here, anyway?" Dan spoke, with his hands on his hips. "You're a girl. And only _guys_ can join the army."

"So _what_ if I'm a girl?" Reagan spoke, stating it as a-matter-or-factly. "There's no point in going back now. Mom's probably gonna marry me off to someone when I turn fourteen anyway. I'd rather do something worth my time other than preparing for _marriage_. Yuck," she continued, kicking the ground. "Plus, I'd like to help. Maybe if I fought in the war and survived, Mom won't be so worried about us anymore. I mean, ever since Dad died…"

Reagan let her words trail off, and the two fell into a heavy silence for a moment. She then gave him a hard look right before she broke the silence. "Promise me you won't tell anyone," she spoke sternly, giving him a piercing gaze.

Dan thought for a moment. She still was a girl, and there would be a heavy price to pay if anyone found out about her little secret. But for a moment, Dan felt sympathy for her. Trying to prove yourself, living in a dead parent's memory… people didn't know how hard it felt to be in that situation. They didn't know how… _lonely_, it could be.

Sighing, Dan held up his hand in an oath gesture. "Fine, fine… I promise. But don't come crying to me when you realize how tough training is."

**III.**

"Amy, could you bring these cookies to Daniel?" came Grace's kind inquiry as the old woman brought up a batch of cookies she baked at the grass tent. "I'm afraid that the storm weathered the poor rookies—Daniel, especially. Perhaps some fresh fairy cookies could keep them in shape. You could also give some to Antonio, if you wish."

Amy looked up from the tiny shoot of grass she was nurturing, an ebb of surprise on her face. "Oh—sure Grace," she spoke pleasantly, smiling as she received the batch. As Grace greeted her farewell, Amy slowly walked towards the camp awkwardly, since flying was prohibited during those times. Flying often emitted a certain degree of magical aura, something that would surely grab the Unseelie Court's attention.

Finally arriving at the camp, she paced unsteadily as she navigated herself through the crowd of men. She wasn't too keen on being around the guys, and she was certainly not comfortable being in a _crowd_ of them. One of the fairy men wolf-whistled at her, something which garnered her attention.

"Hey Amy!" came the robust voice of Kurtis—nicknamed Kurt, by some of his relatives—from the crowd. Amy smiled and waved back, then continued to walk through the crowd. Back at the Kingdom, Kurt was part of the choir that sometimes came to perform during festivities. She didn't meet him until she was eleven, and ever since then, they'd been on friendly terms—although not close enough as to be _friends_ with him.

Still looking for Dan, Amy passed by a few of the worn rookie tents, not noticing the familiar face peeking out at her.

"Yo, Amy!" came Hamilton's voice, with the boy running out of one of the poorly-constructed shelters. Amy whipped around and beamed a smile, always glad to see her childhood friend—when he wasn't being a big version of Dan.

"Hey! Um, have you seen Dan?" Amy spoke, resting her arms from the heavy load for a bit. Grace's cookies never weighed less than a pound, and that was something she learned when Grace sent her on an errand at five years old.

Hamilton scratched his head. "Nope, haven't seen the little guy since noon. Heard he was busy looking out for some wild Preying Mantis."

Amy groaned. "That's Dan for you."

"Hey, I wouldn't blame him," the boy said with a smile. "Ever rode on one of those? Wait, no… I forgot, you're _Amy_. Change topic. It's like riding a flying beetle, but ten times cooler!"

The girl rolled her eyes. "_Uh-huh_. That sounds _soooo_ fun."

Hamilton snorted. "Whatever. Hey, what's that you got there?"

Amy then looked at the basket in surprise, temporarily forgetting its existence. "Oh, yeah! Grace made these and wanted me to give them to Dan. You want some?"

He looked at the batch with a raised eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Sure I'm sure," she spoke, laughing at the gesture. "You're practically family now."

Then, like a secret queue, the boy then grabbed a handful of cookies and gorged them all at once—a manner that could be likened to that of a dead-starving hobo. Amelia turned beet-red in embarrassment, her intuition telling her that he'd be in full Dan stage any minute. "Would you stop that? I said you could have some cookies… _not_ that you could just hog them like you _always_ do with _food!_"

Hamilton spoke through the millions of cookie crumbs in his mouth at that moment. "I canf helf fit if yow gwanmoffer's koees aw affiftiv!"

"Hamilton! Manners, please!"

The boy gulped down the whole big pulp of cookies. "I can't help it if your grandmother's cookies are addictive! Seriously Amy, I'm hurt. You should've known that."

Amy laughed as she playfully shoved the boy. It was true, anyway. When they were kids, there were times when he'd come over to their house _not_ to play, but to spend the mid-morning feasting on Grace's cookies. Smiling as she thought about it, the memory was then replaced by that moment at the ball, when she'd danced with the Prince of the Unseelie Court…

"Hey, it's not your fault," he spoke, hands crossed. "I mean, that would've happened to any other girl. You were just in the right situation for him to strike, and it's all because I…" his eyes shifted to a different direction. "I've got a bigger fault."

The sound of a booming trumpet echoed through the plains, and the two looked at the source of the sound. General Fiske looked as solemn as a mountain as he put down the enchanted horn, looking at the troops with a look that could kill. "Um, training's starting. Gotta go," Hamilton spoke in haste, yet nevertheless having enough time to ruffle her locks—a childish habit he never outgrew. Amy scowled at this, yet smiled as she greeted him a farewell. Still, a deep, empty well seemed to have found solace within her—a well of a degree of regret she couldn't quite shake off.

_I still think it's my fault_, she thought, watching the others gather in an attempt to locate her rambunctious brother.

**IV.**

The structures were tall, serene, pristine, airy and cheerful—something with the likes of a nice, sunny day.

"How I loathe sunny days," came the disgusted voice of Natalie, Princess of the Unseelie Court, as she concealed her face with an enchanted fan. "They're ever so… unstylish. Could've we have chosen a more _sophisticated_ place to rule over?"

"I've heard that the Earthworm Kingdom has its fair amount of lovely mud spas," Ian spoke sarcastically, an impish smirk on his face. An ugly scowl contorted the devilishly pretty Princess's features.

"Don't be cute brother. Remember, _I_ was the one who did all the work while you kept that loathsome party under some Distraction Spell."

"Children, there is no time to quarrel," came the piercing voice of King Vikram. Temporarily diverting himself from viewing the Kingdom from the balcony where they stood, he gave the two a solemn look that told them to stop talking. "This is a day of triumph for the Unseelie Court. You should be ashamed to quarrel at such a day."

The two them bowed their heads at that, the usual effect of their father's words. Vikram smiled.

"Now that's more like it. Ian," he spoke, beckoning his son to come forward. The boy walked up to the man at that, expecting some boring lecture on the way he treated his sister or whatnot. He paced sluggishly like some bored soul, yet it seemed like his father didn't mind.

"You're already fourteen, my son. Fourteen is usually a year of prosperity, of ambition, and of great opportunities. You'll rule over this Kingdom one day, and when that time comes, you will have great power that none can imagine—and being fourteen is the first milestone to that future. But, my boy, do you know what else happens at fourteen?"

Ian rolled his eyes. He didn't know, of course—that kind of knowledge was usually restricted from them—and he had no intention of knowing such. "I have no idea, Father," he spoke, trying to keep his voice as polite as possible.

"Fourteen is the year of matrimony, my son. I've arranged you to marry."

Ian backed away as far as possible. _What did he just say?_ "F-Father, please! Can't you reconsider? The thought of such commitment…"

"Now, don't be such a chap, Ian. We need to keep the bloodline going, my dear boy. You can't expect a Kingdom to thrive without any good leaders."

"But _fourteen_, Father. I just can't…"

"I was married at fourteen myself, boy." Vikram turned a steely eye at his son, which sent some involuntary shivers down his spine. It was not a pleasant feeling. "Also, your fiancé is from a highly respected Unseelie Family. She's also very pretty, if you get what I mean."

The boy didn't respond.

"Well then, silence means yes, so I will contact the family as soon as possible," Vikram continued, looking out into the now-corrupting Kingdom. A vampiric smile marked his features. "Although you're too immature to understand it now, my boy, we are on the brink of great power. It is ours to hold and own, and ours alone."

* * *

**Author's note:** Well, I might get disqualified soon if I don't put this up as complete, so up as complete will I do. Thanks for all those who liked this story! You've given me hope that I could probably make a decent fantasy story. XD Though with all the big-name authors out there to compete with, my chance of winning is as slim as a bone. And I'm not even done with it yet. D: But anyway, hopefully this made your day... in any way! :-)

Oh, and I've changed Reagan's name to Marian, if you were wondering. Thanks Jade! :D


	4. Chapter Four: Unexpected Circumstances

**I.**

The field seemed to be a forest, which was an ironic metaphor, to say the least—since for years, the Seelie Folk have lived in forests and have never encountered the predicament that they were facing now. The wild grasses grew wildly into a messy disarray, and you needed to push though these grasses in order to reach your destination. The solemn sanctuary of the forest on the contrary, however, was free and tame and orderly—with the grasses low and neatly grown, and the flowers reaching the right height for flying space. Truly, the two environments contrasted each other largely.

Amy, who was tasked to find some Maho berries [a variety of fruit of the magical kind; meaning only visible to magical folk] to supply the soldiers' rations, was all grubby and grimy as she went through the usual routine of heaving and pushing through the heavy grasses. It had been some months after their evacuation to the Country Plains, and the formerly clean fairies had acquired a fair layer of dust and grime from the rainfalls, the carts that passed their way, and the tedious lifestyle they had adapted to for survival. The soldiers seemed dirty enough to blend into the ground, while the common citizens seemed like peasants from the Victorian Era. Indeed, it seemed as if the miserly situation they were in reflected upon the Folk's appearances.

Continuing on her quest to find fresh Maho berries, Amelia yelped at the sight of some Earthworms that happened to pass by. Although she should've been used to all this right now, the appearances of some of the creatures frightened her so into a trauma she couldn't get over. _Get a grip, Amy_, Dan often told her. _They're harmless, y'see? Fairy-eating eagles are ten times worse_.

Shakily pulling down another blade of grass, her eyes widened at the millions of Maho berries that clung to the blades like parasites, a common idiosyncrasy of the berries. _Jackpot_.

Removing the basket from her head, she quickly gathered the berries with nimble fingers—a skill she was able to develop over the months—and placed it upon her head afterwards, dusting her hands in satisfaction. As grueling as gathering berries was, it never failed to leave an undiminishing satisfaction once the deed was over.

A sound from afar caught her attention, causing the basket to fall and disperse the berries it contained. Amy's heart began to pound—slowly at first, but increasing in rhythm as the tension gathered. "Who—Who's there?!" she spoke quickly, clasping her hands together defensively.

The sound came again, like something hard crunching along gravel—and it seemed to be coming nearer and nearer. Amy's head turned dizzy with suspense, and the fact that the berries were presently rolling in dirt was banished from all thoughts. A few more gravelly steps were heard, and the poor girl thought she'd have a heart attack on the spot—yet fortunately, the steps stopped a few meters from where she was. She almost collapsed out of relief.

Unfortunately, the relief was short-lived—and from the grassy chaos, a great, brown bug skittered hurriedly to where she was. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something about it that disturbed her like no other insect could—a large pincher for a mouth, spiky legs that seemed able to tear into flesh, hairy antennae that seemed just disturbing. She seemed frozen to where she was, unable to move her legs to run.

The bug spotted her with its black, beady eyes… seemingly hesitating for a moment, with its antennae twitching indecisively. Yet after a while, it began to skitter towards her in a frenzied bloodlust—its pincher of a mouth snapping furiously for its meal.

Amy screamed, running for her life. Her first thought was to fly, but flying was prohibited those days lest the Unseelie Court track the high magical signature. It was fortunate that she had learned to use her legs better to the extent of running, because at that moment, it was the only thing that could save her life.

Tripping on the uneven cresses of the ground, she was entangled into another wilderness of grass. The creature was like a bolt of lightning with its legs, and before she knew it, the _thing_ was an inch away from her. Her heart pounded so hard that it drummed through her ears, and her eyes were focused on the creature's mouth—noting that it wasn't just one pincher, but an array of _churning teeth_, like a leech.

"NO!" she yelled, squinting her eyes before the creature lunged to devour.

**II.**

Everything happened so fast, that it seemed like a giant blur of events.

Before the fey knew it, blades of grass lunged towards the creature defensively and wrapped around its hard, crunchy body. A few more blades lunged at it without any support, wrapping the vile creature into a green cocoon. This phenomenon would've been unexplainable, if not for the blue sparks of magic that came from Amy herself.

Slowly opening her eyes, the sight seemed to be unusual to her at first, until she saw the sparks of magic coming from her palms. _I'm definitely screwed_, she thought woefully, watching the lifeless cocoon amidst the dark brown of the earth. _But at least I'm alive_.

Standing up shakily, she moved closer to the cocoon in bewilderment, analyzing its every nook and cranny. "Is it…?" she muttered, poking it softly.

The cocoon jerked violently.

"GAH!" she yelped, and simultaneously, an arrow shot through the creature—halting its movement permanently as an unpleasant odor momentarily diffused into the air. Surprised, the girl opened her eyes once more slowly—and saw two figures emerging from the grassy forest.

"HAH! I told y'all I got some good aim! Bet ya can't beat that!"

"You were five meters away, dude. _Anyone_ could've made that shot."

"H—Hamilton?" Amy stuttered, straightening herself up in relief as she recognized one of the voices. Antonio and Jonah seemed to be bickering by the time they had fully emerged from the grassy chaos, seemingly both worn and scraggy from training. The two boys looked at her in mild bewilderment, seemingly surprised by her sudden appearance.

"Amy?" Hamilton spoke, and the girl rushed to them at once in joy.

"Oh, gosh, thank _goodness_ you guys arrived!" she spoke, forgetting to be shy. "I was gathering Maho berries until this big bug thingy came and attacked me and wanted to eat me and since I couldn't fly I thought I was gonna die so I ran through the grass and got caught in a clump and the bug was coming and I couldn't help myself and—"

"Dang, that's the first time I've heard you speak _that_ fast," Hamilton spoke, wide eyed in astonishment. He knocked on her forehead mockingly. "Um, hello? Amy, is that you?"

Amy swatted his hand in irritation. "This is no time to JOKE! I almost got killed over there and—wait, what's _he_ doing here?" she spoke inquiringly, pointing at Jonah. "Isn't he Councilwoman Corinia's son?"

The boy in question dropped his surprised face and folded his arms. "No duh, girl."

As respectable as his family was, it was often an issue about the way Jonah spoke. It was rumored that he had once entered the Human World undetected, grabbing a few words that the modern humans used nowadays. It seemed that he picked their manner of talking too much, though—and ever since then, some of the Elder Folk had a hard time understanding what the boy said at times with the new words and phrases he pulled out every once in a while.

"And the name's _Jonah_. I'm sure y'all are smart enough to memorize _that_," the boy continued, looking at her as if to say _I art higher than thou_. Amy couldn't help but make a face at that, evidently put-off by his snobbish attitude. She had a feeling she wouldn't get along with him that easily.

Hamilton patted her on the shoulder. "Chill, Amy. The big-headedness is all part of the big, pompous package," he joked, gaining a glare from an irritated Jonah.

"Aha. Hah. Funny," he spoke, hands folded. "But don't forget, this _big-headed_ gangsta shot down a _cockroach_. Ha! Beat that!"

"Cocka-what?" Amy inquired, sending a quizzical look at Jonah's way. The boy sighed, then looked at Hamilton.

"Dude, I'm sorry to tell you, but your lil' friend here seems to be missing out on life," he spoke in mock-melancholy. Amy's face then reddened with furious passion.

"Need I remind you that I'm just standing right in front of y—"

Amy never finished her sentence, though—for right at that moment, there was a cacophony of shuffles surrounding them as if they were being ambushed. The trio then moved closer to each other, their wings touching as they moved into a small circle backwards. Jonah readied a gilded bow with a golden arrow, and Hamilton took out his dragonskin sword from its sheath. Amy eyed the weapons curiously.

"I thought recruits weren't allowed to use weapons outside training purposes," Amy whispered, gathering enough courage to speak.

"We ain't," Jonah replied, with his hands shaking as he aimed the arrow at a grassy area. "So when we get out of this, I'll probably be expecting a scolding from that terror-of-an-uncle of yours."

"_If_ we get out of this alive," Hamilton spoke, worsening the situation.

At once, a hoard of cockroaches emerged from the grass, scuttling with utmost animosity towards the group. "Split!" Hamilton barked out frantically, and without second thoughts, the group split as they tried to escape the roaches.

**III.**

On the other side of the same plain, two eleven-year-olds were observing the feeble stream of water that they had discovered a few moments ago with utmost curiosity. Reagan, who was one of the eleven-year-olds, stirred the stream with a twig she found lying about with utmost fondness—while Dan, the other eleven-year-old, watched her eagerly. The two seemed to be fascinated by the tiny stream, moreover the sight of the water turning murky as Reagan dug her twig into the ground beneath it.

"Y'know," Dan began. "I know a water spell we can do with the stream. That usually does the trick!"

Reagan poked the mud beneath the water dully. "But we can't use magic, remember? No water spells, no earth spells, no wind spells, no flying…"

Dan snorted, assuming a place beside her. "Rule schmules. Life is _boring_ without magic."

The girl poked the mud even more, then let her stick fall into the stream before dusting herself. "Whatever. All I know is, I don't want Unseelie dudes coming here." She looked at Dan dully. "But if you want to get killed by yourself, it's fine by me."

Dan rolled his eyes. "_Riiight_."

A shuffle in the grass alarmed the two fairies, both simultaneously looking at the source of the sound. "What was that?" Dan inquired, scanning the grassy plain as he began to show signs of panic.

Reagan seemed to not care. "It's probably some Ladybug or Preying Mantis," she spoke, turning to head towards the camp. "And dude, if you didn't forget, your Uncle Fiske will _kill_ us if we don't make it back to the camp on time."

Another shuffle came, something that was becoming alarming to the both of them. Reagan stopped in her tracks, then looked at Dan worriedly. "Bugs don't usually do that," she whispered, and the two froze in place out of fear. Slowly walking over where to Dan was, the two readied themselves to whatever was following them.

The third ruffle got the two jumpy, causing Reagan to yell out lest it be someone playing a prank. "WHO ARE YOU?!" she yelled, and there was a sudden silence in the atmosphere.

"Well, maybe you scared them off," Dan spoke, and the two eased up a bit as they distanced themselves from each other.

Yet fate seemed to have a different purpose in store for them. For the moment the two began to take off towards the village, a hoard of roaches emerged from the greens and ambushed them all at once.

Meanwhile, Amy had been running through the labyrinth of grass for a reasonable period of time, evading whatever roach she could. The image of large pinchers and churning teeth returned to her mind again, and she began regretting not going with Hamilton or Jonah. _At least they have weapons_, she thought frantically as she evaded yet another close encounter with one of the roaches.

Making a sharp turn to the left, the grass thicket seemed to be getting thicker and thicker—and as her run progressed, she gained more and more difficulty passing through the plains. Stopping to catch her breath, she fell to her knees at the notion that she had probably lost the vile things—only to be proved wrong by being ambushed by them.

_So this is how I die._

Frozen in place, she knew there was no other place to go to. She couldn't use magic since she'd already used a large concentration of it a few moments ago, and the roaches seemed to block every possible exit. There was no way to escape.

And with a silent prayer, she closed her eyes.

**IV.**

She was initially surprised that it took so long for her to die, considering the circumstances. But then she remembered being pulled out by someone, somehow—and from where she was, she could hear the indecisive scuttling of the roaches. The atmosphere seemed a whole lot shadier as well, like being under the shade of a tree.

Except she wasn't in the forest, and she was almost certain that the person who pulled her out was neither Jonah nor Hamilton.

Opening her eyes, a flash of green greeted her sight—and she realized that she was near another clearing in the grass, where the blades were tall enough to conceal the heat of the sun. It was slightly narrow, though… so she couldn't really see the person who had saved her life.

She heard the scuttling disappear at last, and gently, the figure pulled her to a more capricious spot in the grass, where the sun was bright and there was enough room to move around. She was still too stunned to move, and all she could do was watch the grass with gaping eyes; waiting for a familiar face to emerge from the grass.

The sound of running greeted her ears, and she turned around to see Hamilton and Jonah run towards her, yelling her name in relief.

"Thank Oberon," Hamilton spoke, relieved to see her safe and sound. He bent down to catch his breath, breathing heavily as he did so. To her surprise, she saw two more figures emerge from the grass, with one of the figures running up to her as well.

"Amy!" cried Dan, eyes brimming with gladness and relief. An odd-looking boy was with him, although for some reason, she could've sworn she had seen him before.

"Bro, are you okay?" came the voice of Marian, who then tended to her older brother. This confirmed Amy's suspicions, and the siblings had a talk for some moments. From behind, Amy could feel her savior come towards her in slow, strong strides.

"Well, it seems as if the group of misfits has finally come together," came a familiar voice, and Amy froze on the spot. The others then looked at the person behind her in shock, eyes filled with an array of emotions that was almost unconceivable. The hairs at the back of her head stood on end.

"What in Oberon's name are YOU doing here?" came the accusing voice of Jonah, echoing the sentiments of all the others. Even though she couldn't see him, Amy could just feel the smirk on his face.

"Don't be so apprehensive, Seelie," came the silky voice of Ian, Prince of the Unseelie Court. "I just saved this lovely young fey from being killed, that's all. Aren't you glad that I saved your young friend?"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Aaaand... here is yet another UBER late update from your own Lamus Authoricus. Sorry that it took so long to update, but school's been a flurry of activities since our finals are on MONDAY [D:], and I've been pressure by some projects and requirements I need to pass. So sorry, everyone! I hope this update made your time, though. :) Here, I'll also take time to answer some reviews:

**Jade:** Hamilton and Amy are childhood friends in the story, so yes, Hamilton does like Amy in a way... as a friend. :)

**ToxicCheesecake:** Thank you, thank you, thank you! :) I really appreciate the advice you gave. :)

**Vampire-Historian-Crazy-Teen3:** You'll have to find out as the story progresses. XD

Oh, and a very important note: If you're wondering if any events in this story may affect that in my other story, The Great Cahill Race, no, it won't. :) These two stories are separate entities, so if something happens in this story [like pairing, character revelation and etc.] that seems to suggest foreshadowing in my other story, don't worry, it won't. If two things seem the same, that's out of coincidence. :) Also, OH EM GEE. I GOT TIED TO THE STORY OF AMBROSINE AND IOANNES.

I am so dead. D:


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